


Valentine Bear

by Ulqueleh (Ulquii)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crush, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Secret Crush, Secret Valentine, Valentine's Day, Valentine's gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29503797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulquii/pseuds/Ulqueleh
Summary: It hadn’t been a surprise when Keith was the only one his classroom to not have a flower or card from Valentine’s Day. He knows he wasn’t exactly well-liked by his classmates, that no one would have a stupid crush on him — he is attractive, of course, but most of the times those superficial attractions vanished the moment his hot temperament was known.He isn't well-liked, and he is fine with it. Valentine’s day is stupid, either way.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	Valentine Bear

**Author's Note:**

> For @0nly_siluetas on Twitter! ¡Feliz día de San Valentin!

It hadn’t been a surprise when Keith was the only one his classroom to not have a flower or card from Valentine’s Day. He knows he wasn’t exactly well-liked by his classmates, that no one would have a stupid crush on him — he is attractive, of course, but most of the times those superficial attractions vanished the moment his hot temperament was known. 

He isn't well-liked, and he is fine with it. Valentine’s day is stupid, either way. 

Or he tries to convince himself until there is a knock on the door, Allura announcing herself as this year's cupid. It isn't difficult to confuse her as such — pink, fluttery dress, white feathery wings behind her, a hairdo so gorgeous and a bunch of glitter on her skin and around her. Half of Keith's classmates giggle from excitement and the other half sigh dreamily with an unrequited love. Keith just wishes he was as glamorous as her. 

“Better be quick,” the teacher warns, but Allura’s grin doesn't deter, just getting brighter. 

“Sure!” She yells, raising a filled red sack that looks suspiciously like a Santa’s bag of gifts, “Let’s start with the gifts!” 

Allura starts ruffling inside the bag, taking out a box of chocolates for a girl and a bouquet of verbenas for a guy. Each get a round of a applause, and Keith rolls his eyes fondly ad the way Allura theatrically ‘aw’s at them. 

“Now,” she says, still ruffling through the bag after the guy goes back to his seat with the bouquet close to his chest — Keith wonders how Allura managed to keep the flowers intact. Maybe she _is_ Cupid — when she looks at him and grins, “I have something for Keith Kogane?” 

He blinks, frozen in his spot, and he senses how everyone, even the teacher, go into silent shock. 

“Me?” He asks after half a minute of utter quiet, and Allura’s smile turns soft. 

“Yes!” 

Then she’s shoving a teddy bear to his chest, red ribbon ridiculously big and voluptuous, scattered with pink hearts and trimmed with golden thread. Keith blinks at its beady eyes, and when he tries to ask from who is it, if it is a bad joke and if he should shove it back, Allura is gone from the classroom with a flutter of pink and a cheerful “lovely day for you all!” 

There’s a moment before the teacher clears their throat and continues the lecture, Keith’s classmates taking their time to get out of the shock to keep up with the class. Keith, though, keeps staring at the teddy bear. The dark brown plastic fur is soft to the touch, softer than any stuffed animal he’s ever touched when he used to wander through toy stores and dream of his own. 

There is no card, and Keith is skeptic — he’s almost sure they got the wrong Keith Kogane despite being him the only one in existence for at least 300 miles around. 

But it should be a mistake. He’s not the type to receive gifts from secret admirers. To be someone else’s crush. To feel flattered by something as stupid as a stupid teddy bear. 

It is cute, though, and his heart feels warm with the thought of someone thinking of him when they saw this bear in the shelf of a store, or to go and buy it specially for him. To be part of someone’s thoughts feels nice. 

“It’s stupid,” he says against everything he has felt for the last two hours, trying to flail the bear but not too much since he considers it precious deep inside him, “Who would gift me something without even leaving a card?” 

Shiro coughs into his fist, probably after choking with his sandwich, and Keith pats on his back, trying to help him out. 

“W-well,” Shiro starts, shrugging a little, “that’s how secret valentine’s work, right?” 

“Bullshit,” Keith grunts, eyes still on the bear in his hands, “If you like someone, you should tell them to their face. Not send something like this and then hope for them to know from who is it.” 

Shiro stays awkwardly silent and Keith sighs. 

“Sorry. This is just-” He gestures vaguely with his hand and glares into the bear’s beady eyes, “Why a teddy bear, though?” 

“Excuse me?” Shiro asks, a little strained, and Keith shrugs. 

“I mean, I don’t like bears,”he says, frowning, “A hippo would be cool, though.” 

Shiro coughs again, but before Keith can pat on his back, Shiro takes a big gulp of water. 

“Maybe your secret valentine thought that a bear was more accustomed to the date,” Shiro considers and Keith hums, “And it’s cute, isn't it?” 

“I guess,” Keith mumbles, thumb going up and down in its soft tummy. “Kinda.” 

He wonders, again, if that person, his ‘secret valentine,’ really wanted to send it without a card,. Without a hint for Keith to know who they are. 

“Keith?” 

Keith raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment, still looking over the teddy bear, and he winces a bit when he catches himself smiling at it. 

“I guess I’ll keep it,” he decides. 

“So you _do_ like it?” Shiro wonders and Keith shrugs. 

“I could name it Hippo,” Keith proposes and Shiro lets out a bark of laugh, making Keith chuckle to himself, watching his best friend shake his head at him. 

“A bear named Hippo,” Shiro muses, “What an identity crisis you’ve giving it.” 

Keith smiles, “They can be who ever they want to be.” 

Shiro smiles back and Keith feels his heart stutter at it. He never grows used to Shiro’s soft smile. 

He wonders, though stupidly, if his best friend could like him back. 

“Wanna go and get some milkshakes later?” Shiro asks a few minutes later, while he walks Keith and Hippo to the lab. 

“Sure,” Keith agrees, grinning up at Shiro, “It’s a date.” 

Shiro squeaks out a laugh, cheeks going red, “A-a date?” 

Keith frowns, watching him look away awkwardly. 

“‘Cause of Valentine’s day,” Keith reminds and Shiro laughs more, a little too loud. 

“Oh, yeah. Valentine’s Day,” he stutters, “S-sure. It’s a date.” 

They say their goodbyes and Keith watches him walk away through the hallway, hand rubbing his flushed nape. Then he looks down to Hippo, tightly held to his chest. 

Keith wonders. 

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject) (including the [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/commentbuilder)), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates responses, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> This author replies to comments.
> 
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!
> 
> ~
> 
> Come and yell with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ulqueleh)!


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